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Tuesday, May 18, 2010

On 18th May 2010 (Tuesday) SMK Datuk Peter Mojuntin had successfully linked up with Tallangatta Secondary College using skype during SMKDPM's Lestari Expo. A Lestari Expo event is an environmental day organized by the school to raise awareness among students in sustaining the environment towards a better world.

We started online at 11.00 am (Malaysia) and around 2.00 pm (Australia). Other than SMKDPM's teachers and students, this events also attended by Parents Teacher's Association committee members and nearby school's principals.

SMKDPM's principal Mdm Nurani gave her speech and followed by Mr. Alby. Afterwards a short presentation on environment issues by four Tallangatta Secondary College's students and two SMK Datuk Peter Mojuntin's students.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Our first link up through skypes between principal of SMK Datuk Peter Mojuntin, Mdm Nurani Fauziah Derin and principal of Tallangatta Secondary College, Mr Alby Freijah was a successful attempt to officially started collaboration between our schools.

This event started at 11.00 am (Malaysia Time) on 17th May 2010 and at 1.00pm (Australia Time). In Malaysia, the skype link up held at Invention Studio and attended by Mdm Nurani Fauziah Derin, Mdm Surie Aziz and 12 computing students who helped with the technical aspects of the link up. In Australia, Mr. Alby Freijah, Mrs Janet Floyd and a few students attended the event.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Skype link up between principal of SMK Datuk Peter Mojuntin and principal of Tallangatta Secondary College is schedule on 14th May 2010 (Friday).

The connection testing for Skype Link Up during SMKDPM Lestari Expo will be on Monday, 17th May 2010. The Lestari Expo opening ceremony will be held at SMKDPM assembly hall at 11.30 am (Malaysia) on 18th May 2010 (Tuesday)

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Its a last day for Malaysian teachers in Australia for this Sister School Program. After debrief with all participants of Sister School at DEECD, we went to Melbourne Airport for our afternoon flight to Kuala Lumpur. Hopefully we can visit again Australia and our sister school with more students and teachers.

Till then we'll wait for our Australian Sister School visits to Malaysia this coming July. See you soon...

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Went to Mrs Janet Floyd Indonesian Language class. The class used Videoconferencing technology to connect to a school in Beechworth. There are 3 students in class, 2 from Tallangatta Secondary College and 1 from Beechworth Secondary College.

Videoconferencing usually used when the school had less than 5 students in that subject and the distance between the schools are very big.

Period 4 & 5 :
Sister School Report Writing and Projects Finalisation

Lunch Time :
Discuss Wikispace Implementation in English Language with Julie Burrows

Period 3 :Schools Athletics Carnival
A one day school’s Athletic Carnival in a very cold autumn with temperature of 13 degree celcius. A fire had been set up to enable students and teachers to warm themselves during the carnival.

Theres a 200m relay which just for the purpose of students engagement in sports. It will mix between gender and Year. Their participation will contribute to points in their sport house.

Period 4 & 5 :Sister School Jurnal and Report Writing

Period 6 & 7 :DISCUSSION – Professional Development

A brief discussion with Jacqui Veal about Professional Development for teachers. Every teachers were required to list their Professional Development they wish to have in a year. Professional Development can be in a way that a teacher request a senior teacher or a teacher that has certain skills to come and help them.

It also can be a request from the principal to go for certain courses that offered by the department. That teacher then are required to teach other teachers in school on content of the courses. Teachers also can appy for professional development courses by BASTOWS if they wish to go further in their career path.

HomestayHomestay with Yanti Grant

Dinner with a few of her Indonesian and Malaysian friends at Wodonga.

SIMILARITIES
Other type of sports in School Carnival already carried out before the Sports Carnival itself for example swimming which were done in summer.- Professional Development also can be school based, handled by the Government or from recognized institute.

DIFFERENCES
Teachers request the professional development for themselves which must be written compulsory in the annual review. However, usually the courses must be reviewed first by the Senior Leading teacher incharge of the Staff Development and approved by principal.

The meeting began with a welcome speech and introductions from Tallangatta Secondary College principal to all community members. Then Mrs Janet Floyd delivered an overview of the Malaysia-Australia Sister School Relationship program.

After multimedia slide show on SMK Datuk Peter Mojuntin, Mrs Janet Floyd presented the suggested and agreed draft of partnership focus into environmental issues, curriculum and cultural exchange. Mr Albert Freijah explained opportunities for community involvement in this program as some of the their students may have students exchange and homestay with the Malaysian students.

Period 4 & 5 : DISCUSSIONS – With Janet Floyd

We discussed issues on Strategic Plan, process of reviewing the strategic plan, Personal Best Program and Youth Council.

Youth Council is a committee which consist of 5 selected students from secondary school (TSC), 3 students from primary school and 2 students from the catholic primary school. This Youth Council will meet with the local Shire Council of Tallangatta where they discussed on problems, wishes and needs of the teenager in school for their community in Tallangatta.

Period 6 : HERALD INTERVIEW – With Tim Croucher

Herald is TSC news bulletin that produce a twice per month bulletin circulation for the school and community around Tallangatta. The bulletin printed by local printing company for free.

Tim interviewed me on the Sister School Program and my experience in Australia especially in Tallangatta including similarities and differences of teaching and learning between Australia dan Malaysia education.

Period 7 : DISCUSSIONS – Personal Best Program

Discussed the opportunities for collaboration of Personal Best Program module into the Sister School Program. Personal Best Program is a compulsory program for Year 9 students to improve engagement and joy in learning. Local research had shown that students were less engaged and more bored by schooling at Year 9 than at any other year level.

Some of the suggested opportunities were :
- Cultural Comparison in Beliefs and Values Module : where students exchange emails about culture on both sides of any topics

- New Skills Module : where students posted instruction, steps , photos and videos of a local dance (or a local games) through blog or wikispaces. Then they may assess or give comments on their sister school skills by watching how they dances through skypes. At SMKDPM, this could be organized by the Cultural Club (Kelab Kebudayaan)

- Community Services : The Australian partnership of Sister School do their community services by helping their Malaysia Sister School improving their English through conversation in the skypes. At SMKDPM this could be done under the English Club or English Subject.

Homestay
Homestay with Yanti Grant

Yanti Grant teach Indonesian Language and has been in Australia since she married her Australian husband 23 years ago. She had a qualification as a Lawyer in Indonesia and had undergo education training in Australia before she becomes a teacher here.

Mr Jim, Mrs Janet Floyd and I discussed on possibilities of technology project by sharing hands on activities and lesson plan over the Learning Management System (LMS). Aspects that the Invention subject can collaborate with Design and Technology are sharing of modules of invention over the blog or LMS as well as lesson plans.

Period 3 :CLASS VISIT – Food Technology

In food technology class with Mrs Kerry Love. I showed two of the students how to make a Puding Sagu Gula Melaka and they recorded all the making process. The students were supposed to upload the photos to their Digital Portfolio blog and explain the process. I also shown the rest of the class on sample of my food websites at http://comelcreativefood.blogspot.com to give them ideas on how to create their food websites.

Mr Jeff, Mrs Janet Floyd and I discussed aspects of collaboration for the science subject. We agreed on Jeff’s suggestion which was an environmental letter writing that to be handwritten and posted using the postal services. The aim is to raised environmental awareness among the students, enhance their English literacy, questioning skills in asking and responding to questions, to give new value and belief of appreciation when received a handwritten letters, and friendships between two countries. In Australia a handwritten cover is needed when writing a resume for a job.

The assessment and requirements is to be created by Mr Jeff where the subject will begin in July next semester. It is suggested that 25 students of TSC will be given 25 names and photos of students in SMKDPM. The letter will be sent and received in a large envelope after photocopying the original letters.

Period 5 :CLASS VISIT – LOTE Indonesian Language

I went to an Indonesian Language class by Mrs Yanti Grant. The class had 12 students from Year 9 to Year 11. The students introduced themselves using Indonesian language and had a conversation with me. I also gave the the differences in some of the words in Malay Language compared to Indonesian Language. For examples :
Dingin – Sejuk (Malaysia)
Lelah – Penat (Malaysia)

22 schools including TSC were connected with Melbourne Zoo to give information on Orang Utan and their habitat. The program was also a campaign to stop forest clearing which were done to plant Palm Oil and discourage the use of Palm Oil for a reason that is to protect Orang Utan habitats.

Period 7 :CLASS VISIT - Metalworks

In Mr Jim’s class of Metalworks at Design and Technology building. He showed me the infrastructure, hand tools and power machines that were used in teaching the technology subject. He also showed some of the previous student work examples in Invent It subject. We discussed on simple and cheap method of teaching the thinking skills in product creation. Then he gave me some project handouts to give me some ideas in how to start the project.

We bushwalked up the hill behind their house. They showed and explained the beautiful valleys and rivers, lake Hume and Tallangatta town. It was a breathtaking scenery even though its quite windy up there.

During the night Ted, who is also a photographer, showed me some of his pictures taken at several mountains around Australia and Tasmania. Since he was a geologist, there were pictures of the same places were taken in different season especially spring and winter. The photos were awesome and magnificient. Australia is beautiful..

SIMILARITIES
- Similarities in tools used in technology subject

DIFFERENCES
- Since Tallangatta is a small town the farm culture is different from the farm in Sabah, Malaysia.
- The technology subject here had more extensive tools and machines that were big and expensive. All materials provided by the school for example woods and stainless steel metal.

Meet with Albert Freijah, Principal of Tallangatta Secondary College and Con Madden, Assistant Principal. Introduced to other teachers and staffs of Tallangatta Secondary College.

DAILY BRIEFING

Then all the teachers had short meeting just 10 minutes before 9.00 o’clock where they had briefing and short announcement from principal, assistant principal and other teachers. These take place at the beginning of each day, starting at 8.45am. All staff are expected to attend. A student daily bulletin is distributed at briefing for communication with students as part of the home group routine at the beginning of each day. Information for inclusion on the bulletin is to be placed electronically in the C Staff folder for the appropriate day by 2.30pm on the previous day. The bulletin is printed at 8.30am each morning.

HOMEGROUP MEETING

After staff meeting, all teachers had a Homegroup meeting at designated places for 10 minutes. Homegroup is where a teacher is assigned a few students from different year level to :
• Daily roll marking and administrative procedures through Home Group meetings.
• Advocating for the students in their Home Group
• Monitoring the social and emotional development of each student
• Encouraging positive behaviours and work habits

DISCUSSION WITH PRINCIPAL AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

After homegroup meeting I had a short discussion with Mr Albert Freijah, Principal and Mr Con Madden, Assistant Principal and Janet Floyd, a Senior Leading Teacher and Curriculum Co-ordinator. We discussed on education culture in Malaysia and Australia, school organizational structure and the current activities of reviewing 2009 Action Plan. The process of reviewing their action plan includes diagnostic, feedback from students, teachers, parents and other staff.

Period 2:SCHOOL ORIENTATION

Went on tour of the school with School Captain, Jacintha, Maddy and Teagan. TSC has 7 buildings which were the main buiding, Year 12 Senior Student Centre, Design and Technology building, English Class building, Music Class building, Locker building and the Sports Centre building.

Visited Sue Ledsam’s art class at Design and Technology Building. In this class she instructed the students to create reports on activities they had done before which was sculpture building. She graphically draw the overall view of the reports assigned on the whiteboard.

A discussion with her later revealed that Visual Communication subject was similar to Visual Arts subject in Malaysia whereas the Studio Art subject mostly focused on sculpture building and photography.

Period 4 & 5 : CLASS VISIT – Mathematic

Visited Jacqui Veal’s VCE mathematic class for year 12. She was using ICT technology to deliver the content on Probability topic. Technology used were powerpoint presentation with relevant graphics, LCD projector, screen and whiteboards. Teaching and learning then followed by exercises and discussions with individual students.

Period 6 & 7 :DISCUSSIONS – ICT

Infrastructure
Janet and I had discussions with Mr Geoff Love, an ICT and multimedia teacher who also incharge of the ICT wellbeing of the school. There are 75 computers that were networked throughout the school, 55 laptops for teachers, LCD projectors and 4 interactive whiteboards, wireless access point and network cables. Network computer, colour printer and Internet access is available on all network computers throughout the college. Laptop trolleys are located in the Maths area, the science area, the technology area, , and the Languages area. Ben is a student IT Technician who is available every Tuesday.

Sofware
Sofware installed in most of the computers were Adobe Photoshop, Office 2007, Markbook (for assessment reporting) and the Learning Management System which is located at their school intranet.

Website and LMS
The school website was developed by Mr Geoff Love using Joomla while theLearning Management Sytem (LMS) was created using an open source software, Moodle. Student Digital Portfolio were designed with Mahara software where students posted their sample of work, their reflections and anything that involved especially with their Personal Best Program activities.

Some of the LMS for certain subject needed a username and password even though they are in the same protected intranet. The reason was in that particular LMS, students pictures may be posted where Australia had a strict policy on privacy. Teachers are not allowed to posted any pictures of their students over the internet.

However the use of LMS in the future is uncertain due to the development of ULTRANET by the government which connect all schools in Victoria.

Sister School on LMS
Mr Geoff Love created an account for me to start the discussions of Sister School activities on the LMS. This is to enable teachers and students of TSC and SMKDPM to keep informed of the activities of Sister School.

Homestay
Homestay with Sue

SIMILARITIES
- Similarities in basic school infrastructure.
- Similarities in teachers are teaching and students are learning.
- Similarities in teaching and learning of Arts and Mathematics in terms of technology wise.

DIFFERENCES
- Subject syllabus and assessment were created by the teacher who teach the subject by following guidelines by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD).
- Daily briefing is very short, simple and direct to the point. In complete contrary to our school’s weekly morning prayer.
- TSC had a comprehensive style of reviewing their action plan which involved getting feedback from students and parents in written form.
- The school started at 9.00 am until 3.20 pm with 30 minutes recess time in the morning and another 30 minutes of lunch time.
- Very small number of students in class which usually on the average of 20.
- Numerous and latest ICT infrastructure such as interactive whiteboard, videoconferencing , intranet and high technology of scanner vs photocopying machine which can be sent to their email.
- Communication between principal and teachers are strengthen through the use of local intranet email.
- Students of Year 12 had a special privilege where they have their own building to rest when they had no class.
- In TSC, the students and teachers moved to their classes in rooms designated to them at specific time which keep changing everyday.

With Mrs Janet Floyd and her daughter visited Oze Wildlife to see some kanggaroos, wallabies, wombats and especially the koala. The Koalas were so cute, very, very cute. It is just so pity that there was only 3 in the centre.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Host school representatives arrived at Mantra Apartments to bring their respective sister school teachers and we left for lunch at Kanzaman Restaurant at Bridge Road, Richmond.

Janet Floyd from Tallangatta Secondary College and me left for Tallangatta at 2.30 and the journey tooks approximately 4 hours before arriving at Tallangatta. We arrived at 7.30pm and went to Jacqui Veal and David Veal house for dinner.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Efforts to attract students attention and interest in Science and Mathematics through 4 priority action areas which were Infrastructure, Strategic Partnership, Workforce Capacity, Resources to Support a Contemporary curriculum. The development of infrastructures to boost Science and Math are Ecoline:

And also with the development of John Monash Science School and 42 BER Science Centre Schools. Students in Victoria in other school can visits the centre and developed interest in Science and Mathematics and their application. Innovative use of ICT through outreach program and the use of Ultranet to help teacher in teaching and learning.

Strategic Partnership is where a department selected company will collaborate with schools in helping them in teaching and learning. A prementoring program in the strategic partnership where a student in university will voluntarily assist teacher in teaching and learning of science and math at school. They will bring teaching and learning materials from the university.

All activities or thinking skills are used to promote engagement of students in teaching and learning process by applying all multiple intelligence to support students abilities.

Time : 12.30pm

Event : Official Welcome Lunch

An official welcome lunch by Sue Christophers, a General Manager from International Education Division, DEECD. Souvenirs were presented to participants as well as exchange gift between the Department of Education of both Malaysia and Australia.

Strathmore Secondary College is where the Space Lab or The Victorian Space Science Education Centre which focused on Space Science. Students from other schools can visit, use and experience the content and technology used in the Space Lab. The Victorian Space Science Education Centre was established to promote the learning of science.

After visiting Strathmore Secondary College we went on Tour of The City to Parl House, Captain Coks Cottage, Eureka Towers, Federation Square, St. Hilda Beach, Southbank etc. Returned to hotel at 5.00 pm and dinner with Helen and Saritha.

We departed from Mantra Apartment at 9.00 am and walked with Mrs Sarita Yen to our suppose to be meeting room at St. Andrews Place. However since the meeting room was unavailable we went to a Coffe House meeting room nearby.

Mr Alan McLean delivered briefing on Victorian Education System. What I listed here are some of the the significant differences between Victorian Education System and Malaysia Education System.

- Since Australia is a multi cultural country, some of the students are not using English as their first languge, where over 230 countries of birth and 200 language spoken.

- The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) has 2 minister which are the Minister of Education and Minister of Early Childhood Development.

- Victorian Institut of Teaching (VIT) is an institution controlling entry to the teaching profession. To become a qualified teacher, he or she must undergo four years of teaching qualification including 60 days of practicum, followed by 1 year provisional teaching. Only after the VIT are satisfied with the performance of the provisional teacher, then the teacher can be approved to be a qualified teacher.

- Merit Protection Boards is to ensure that people that were selected for the job of teaching solely based on selection criterias.

- The concept of education in Australia is the department or DEECD created a framework or guidelines on curriculum and the schools responsibilities is to create their own learning program based on the framework.

- The structure of schooling in Australia have a slight differences in states. In Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania and ACT students begin their secondary school at the age of 13 (Year 7) whereas in Queensland, SA, NT and WA, the secondary school age begins later at the age of 14 (Year 8)

- There are no assessment examination for primary students before entering secondary school. All assessment which were school based are done at year 3, 5 and 12. All teaching and learning are based on the concept of multiple intelligence.

- For secondary school, Year 11 and Year 12, students are given choice to select elective subject they wish to take upon. There are no restriction, conditions or certain grade need to be achieved before taking the subject. However a counselor will advised and give guidance on the students choices of subjects depends on their chosen career path.

- 90% of funds control by school including the hiring and selection of staffs while the principal himself selected by the school council.

- A principal will report to a Regional Network Leaders who monitor principal performance.

Then Teresa Bossio, a Manager from Leadership and Teacher Development presented a talk on Leadership and Teacher Professional Development. Raylene Dodds, an assistant General Manager for Leadership and Teacher Development briefed us on Developments in School Education.

We were briefed on BASTOW – an Institute of Educational Learning where its function have some similarities with the Malaysian Institute Aminuddin Baki (IAB).

After lunch we went to visit Broadmeadows Valley PS at 95-98 Johnstone Street, Broadmeadows. At the school we were shown the Broadmeadows regeneration project which emphasize on neighbourhood learning with the construction of new school building with a different concept of open space and new style of teaching and learning.

Afterwards we went to Ideas Lab at The Age Library building at Dimboola Road, Broadmeadows. “Whats Now Possible” topic presented by Bruce Nixon, a founding Director of IdeasLab, a co-founder of Anytime, Anywhere Learning Foundation.

He emphasized on various possibilities of sharing teaching and learning using technology which were called Virtual Pedagogy. Some of the powerful ways of connecting examples are Kodu Games, Virtual Courses and range of different technology such as wikispaces, Ning social networking, skypes, etc.

Flight MH 129 depart from Kuala Lumpur at 10.05am and arrive at Melbourne at 19.45 (local time) with a little air turbulence along Northern Australia. We had to endure a strict custom checking on prohibited items entering Australia. The temperature was quite cold and we were greeted by Mrs Saritha Yen, Senior Project Officer.

Then we were transferred to Mantra Apartments, 333 Exhibition Street, Melbourne. The streets have less cars and all shops were closed. We were given an apartment to share between two participants and I was in the same apartments with Pn. Salbiah Baba.

After a brief discussion on Sister School Task distribution and guidelines
with Pn. Salbiah, we finally slept at 12.40 of local time.

Arrive at Australia High Commission at 2.00pm. After security check in we are allowed to enter
the embassy and the briefing began with program overview by Michael Helleman with
a little bit of Victorian Education System.

All seven participants including officer from Cluster School Department, Ministry of Education, Pn. Salbiah Baba, Ms Amy and Ms Susan from Australia High Commission attended the meeting. After question and answer session, the briefing ended at 4.30 pm.

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Welcome to the Sister School Blog Activities between SMK Datuk Peter Mojuntin, Penampang, Sabah, Malaysia and Tallangatta Secondary College, Victoria, Australia. Activities recorded during teachers and students visits between both countries

Our Activities

Websites

Coming Project

Mathematic Teacher Exchange Programme by Madam Jacqui Veal from 29 June - 9 August 2014, Sister School Visit by Tallangatta Secondary College on September 2014 and Chemistry Teacher Exchange Programme by Mr Yeo Peck Cheng on early November 2014

Collaboration Projects

SMK Datuk Peter Mojuntin

SMK Datuk Peter Mojuntin, State Sports School and ‘Lestari’ School is a sub-urban school located 15 km from the Kota Kinabalu City. This school is named after the late Datuk Peter Mojuntin , a prominent local politician from Sabah. This school was officially opened on 27 February 1979 by the former Education Minister at that time, Dato’ Musa Hitam.

The vision of SMK Datuk Peter Mojuntin is to become an excellent school by the year 2012. The excellence of this school will be accomplished by: • Achieving excellence in curriculum and co-curricular activities • Producing virtuous and wholesome individuals • Ensuring a systematic environment • Fostering a harmonious relationship in the community and • Providing a safe and conducive environment

Principal of DPM

Mdm Nurani Fauziah Derin

Tallangatta Secondary College

Tallangatta Secondary College is a pivotal partner in delivering high quality state education which stimulates, supports and challenges all members to engage in meaningful pathways which positively influence the nature and function of society in all its contexts.

Our values are centred on learning – Trust, Respect, Honesty and Confidence. These values were established after extensive consultation with students, parents and teachers and were formulated by a working party of representative students and teachers.